A Grand Day Out (or a comedy of errors?)

The Cateran Trail Relay Race - Blairgowrie to Glenshee

                           
"This could all go pear shaped"
(Frank Cation)
Prophetic words indeed! The Cateran Trail relay race was memorable for two reasons, one being a fantastic relay race through beautiful countryside and the other being for the number of "I will live to regret saying that" quotes from Fife AC members taking part.
The race itself is approx  20 miles long and is divided into 3 stages, each stage being run in pairs. Starting at Blairgowrie the first leg runners cover the 7 or so miles to Bridge of Cally. The second stage is between Bridge of Cally and Kirkmichael with the final stage taking the runners from Kirkmichael into Glenshee.

"We will definitely run it in under 55 minutes"
(Frank Cation)
So our brave Frank was heard to quote as he was lining up for the start of the first leg with partner Dave Francis. The look on Frank's face, when the race organiser said that the record time for the leg was 55 minutes, almost made the day worthwhile in itself. Pity no bets were made!
Our brave lads had an excellent run and brought the team home in 6th place after the first leg.

"I've never known Alan Milligan to get lost in a hill race"
(Dave Francis)
Alan Milligan, partnered by Ian Overton set off on the second leg and quickly started to work their way past the field of runners, however, I think you can guess how the rest of this story is going to go! Several hills later (although the wrong hills) they finally handed over to the third stage runners Tom Ross and Roy McLachlan who were waiting in Kirkmichael.

"You had better start off now Louise. Tom and Roy will catch up with you for sure!" 
(Dave Francis)
Roy had some concerns about his ankle that he had injured the previous week at the Ben Lomond race. As reserve runner, I was to set off from Kirkmichael and run the third stage into Glenshee. The big plan was that Roy and Tom would catch up with me, and if Roy's ankle was very sore, then I was to take his place in the team and run to the finish with Tom.
The result of the stage two fiasco was that I was stood in Glenshee at the finish line waiting for half an hour before anyone turned up!
Roy and Tom however ran the second fastest stage of the day over the lovely wooded course that climbed steadily uphill for several miles. As the summit of the climb was reached a magnificent panoramic view of the mountains of Glenshee came into sight before the sharp descent into Glenshee.

"Alan knows where Glenshee is, he's done races there before"
(Dave Francis)
As we sat in the hotel slurping Guinness we noticed some time had passed and Alan and Frank had still not appeared and neither had Tom's kit bag.
Some considerable time later, with Tom kitted out in a fetching range of my spare running gear, the lost duo appeared having taken a detour via Pitlochry "to buy some diet coke".

What was the Fife AC dream team's finishing time? Who knows!
What was the Fife AC dream team's finishing position? Who knows!
But several more pints of Guinness and hundreds of excuses (mostly Ian's!) later, everyone agreed that it had been a great race over a great course and Fife AC will be back next year with more teams.

Louise Provan